Texas Longhorns vs. Arizona State Sun Devils: Keys to the Game

Can the Texas Longhorns get past Arizona State star running back Cam Skattebo?

The Texas Longhorns practice at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Dec. 30, 2024 ahead of the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals. The Longhorns will play the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Peach Bowl on New Years Day. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas football's road to its first national championship since 2005 has a stop in Atlanta.

The Longhorns will face Big 12 champion Arizona State in the quarterfinals in the same venue the Horns took a loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship game. In the first game of 2025, a former Big 12 team, now in the SEC, will take on a former PAC-12 team, now in the Big 12 -- a conference champion initially predicted to end at the bottom of the table.

The two already proved a lot in their new conferences, but now its time to show off in the playoff stage.

Texas is out of a win over Clemson in the first round, while the Sun Devils earned a bye week as the No. 4 seed after winning their conference. And if there's one name that helped Arizona State reach a historic performance this season, it's running back Cam Skattebo. If Texas wants to get through the semifinals, the Longhorns must stop Skattebo.

Here are the keys for a Longhorn victory to start the New Year's with a win:

Slow Down Cam Skattebo

It's no joke.

The Sacramento State running back transfer leads the Sun Devils in the rushing game with 263 attempts for 1568 yards and 19 touchdowns. On the receiving side, Skattebo has 37 receptions for 506 yards and three touchdowns.

Skattebo himself is quite confident in his game.

"There's nobody out there that can stop me," he said.

If the Texas defense can stop Skattebo, the odds of the Horns coming out with a win already increase by a lot.

Play elite offense

If the Texas offense can play to its elite standard, it will be hard for the Sun Devil defense to stop the Horns.

Arizona State has allowed over 2,800 yards passing this season and is giving up 5.2 yards per play, and similarly to what he did against Clemson, Sarkisian must find vulnerability in the defense and take full advantage of it.

The Sun Devil defense must bring its A-game to shut doubters up.

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